In spite of numerous advances in medical research, cancer remains a leading cause of death throughout the developed world. Non-specific approaches to cancer management, such as surgery, radiotherapy and generalized chemotherapy, have been successful in the management of a selective group of circulating and slow-growing solid cancers. However, many solid tumors are considerably resistant to such approaches, and the prognosis in such cases is correspondingly grave.
Oligonucleotides have the potential to recognize unique sequences of DNA or RNA with a remarkable degree of specificity. For this reason they have been considered as promising candidates to realize gene specific therapies for the treatment of malignant, viral and inflammatory diseases. Two major strategies of oligonucleotide-mediated therapeutic intervention have been developed, namely, the antisense and antigene approaches.
The antisense strategy aims to down-regulate expression of a specific gene by hybridization of the oligonucleotide to the specific mRNA, resulting in modulation of translation. See Gewirtz et al. (1998) Blood 92, 712-736; Crooke (1998) Antisense Nucleic Acid Drug Dev. 8, 115-122; Branch (1998) Trends Biochem. Sci. 23, 45-50; Agrawal et al. (1998) Antisense Nucleic Acid Drug Dev. 8, 135-139. The antigene strategy, on the other hand, proposes to modulate transcription of a target gene by means of triple helix formation between the oligonucleotide and specific sequences in the double-stranded genomic DNA. See Helene et al. (1997) Ciba Found. Symp. 209, 94-102.
In addition to these two approaches, the use of aptamers holds great promise for therapeutic and diagnostic applications. Aptamers are oligonucleotides that can bind to a specific molecular partner through intramolecular or intermolecular interactions that fold the molecule into a complex tertiary structure. Such intramolecular or intermolecular structures allow aptamers to bind stably to their target molecules. See Osborne et al., 1997, Curr. Opin. Chem. Biol. 1:5-9; Patel, 1997, Curr. Opin. Chem. Biol. 1:32-46. Since nucleic acid molecules are typically more readily introduced into target cells than therapeutic protein molecules are, aptamers offer a method by which proliferative activity can be suppressed. Studies have shown that the administration of oligonucleotides can be administered in a clinically relevant way and have relatively few toxic side effects. See Gewirtz et al. (1998) Blood 92, 712-736; Agrawal et al. (1998) Antisense Nucleic Acid Drug Dev. 8, 135-139.
However, in spite of the approaches described above and those known in the art, curative measures effective against solid tumors and their cell proliferation have yet to be developed. As such, the development of agents that modulate hyperproliferative diseases and control tumor proliferation is of great medical and commercial importance.